Steam generating electric iron



April 3, 1951 H. E. BREMER 2,547,558

STEAM GENERATING ELECTRIC IRON Filed Sept. 22, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

April 3, 1951 H. E. BREMER STEAM GENERATING ELECTRIC IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1947 INVENTOR.

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Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED stars rant orrice 12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in steam generating electric irons.

In that type of steam iron wherein the main body portion of the iron serves as a Water container and is positioned on top of the sole plate, and wherein there is an electric heating element in the sole plate, steam will continue to flow from the iron at a steady rate as long as there is suflicient water in the container and as long as sufiicient heat is being generated by the sole plate heating element. A steady flow of steam, however, is not always desirable, because at certain times less steam may be required andat other times any flow of steam at all may be objectionable.

If steam is flowing continuously from the iron while the latter is standing at rest on its heel it uses up the limited amount of water in the container and makes it necessary to refill more frequently than would be otherwise required. Also, the discharge of unnecessary steam into the room adds to the discomfort of the user. In addition, it is frequently desirable for certain types of work to 'be able to control the amount of steam discharged or to be able to quickly shift to a dry iron effect.

It is impractical to attempt to control the flow of steam by shutting 01f electric current or by lowering the thermostat setting because this results in an undesired lowering of the sole plate temperature. It is also impractical to control the amount of steam discharged from this type of iron by means of a shutofi valve as any restriction of the outflow of steam from a closed container is dangerous.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved steam generating electric iron having novel means for quickly and safely controlling the discharge of steam independently of the control for the heating element. A further object of the invention is to provide a steam iron of the class described which may be used as a dry iron without emptying the water container.

A more specific object of the invention is to ,provide in an iron as above described means for varying the amount of contact between the bottom of the water container and the sole plate to thereby control the amount of heat transmitted from the sole plate heating element to the water within the water container.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an iron as above described a vertically extending thermostat control rod and a vertically extending steam control rod, there being a compact arrangement whereby said rods may be positioned close to one another without interfering with independent manipulation, and the arrangement also being such as to permit limited tilting movement of the water container relative to the sole plate without interference from said control rods.

\ Other objects of the invention are to provide a steam generating electric iron which is efiicient operation, which can be refilled with water while the sole p-lateis still at maximum heat, which is neat in appearance, and which is otherwise well adapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in view, the

invention consists of the improved steam generating electric iron, and all its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view throughthe improved iron, showing the parts in a position for maximum generation of steam;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal, vertical sectional view showing the rear portion of the water container tilted away from the sole plate;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top view of the sole plate in separated condition; and

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the thermostat knob.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral Iii designates a suitable sole plate having a recess H in its upper surface near the rear for accommodating a suitable thermostat i2 and having a recess I3 in its lower side near the tip of the iron, the latter recess forming a chamber for steam which is about to be discharged. Any suitable type of heating element may be utilized in conjunction with the sole plate. It is preferred, however, to use a rod type of heating element It. One of the ends of this heating element is connected by an electric conductor 5 with one of the terminals iii of the thermostat 2. The other thermostat terminal 5 I is connected by a suitable electric conductor 18 with one of the terminals l S of the iron. The other terminal 2E1 of the iron is connected by an electric conductor 25 directly with the other end of the heating element It. The terminals 19 and 26 may be constructed for cooperation with a standard socket member connected to the end of an electric cord set and adapted to lead from a source of electricity.

Threaded into the steam discharge chamber I3 is a cap 22 havin a plurality of steam outlet perforations 23 therein. When properly installed the lower surface of the cap is flush with the lower surface of the sole plate.

The main body of the iron, indicated by the numeral 24, is hollow and forms a container for water, there being a filling opening 25. lhe water container has a flat bottom 26, a top wall 21, and a rear wall 28 which is externally recessed as at 2Q (see Figs. 1 and 3).

A hollow steam dome member 36 is threaded into an opening 3! in the forward portion of the top wall 2'! of the water container. Threaded into another opening 32 in the top wall 21 is a relief valve 33.

Within the water container it is preferred to employ bottom baffles 3d, and a substantially horizontally extending upper baffle 35 of a type which is fully described in my issued Patent No. 2,328,124, dated August 31, 1943.

A handle 36 may be suitably connected to the top of the iron by means of a screw 3'! extending into the top of the steam dome 3t, and by means of a screw 38 threaded into the top wall of the water container. At the rear of the handle and extending inwardl from the upper surface thereof is a control knob recess 39. In addition, the rear of the handle is cut away underneath as at 4'0 to provide a space 4! above the upper surface of the rear end of the water container.

In order to conduct steam from the chamber 42 of the steam dome to the sole plate, there is a steam discharge tube 43 which has its lower end threaded through the bottom 26 of the water container as at 44 and projecting into a duct 5 leading from the upper surface of the sole plate to the steam discharge chamber I3. Extending upwardly from the steam discharge chamber I3 through a hole '46 and threaded into a thickened portion of the bottom of the water container is a screw 51. The hole 36 is of such size as to provide a slight amount of clearance around the screw for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to.

The present invention contemplates the use of any suitable means for varying the physical relationship between the bottom of the water contain'er and the source of heat so as to control the transfer of heat to the water without controlling the heating element itself. In the preferred embodiment of the invention it is preferred to tilt a portion of the bottom of the water container away from the sole plate to accomplish this purpose and the mechanism which makes this possible will now be described.

'By referring to Fig. 1 it will be clear that the upper surface of the sole plate, from approximately the center line of the screw ll'i forwardly, is inclined as at 68 so that when the parts are in the position of Fig. 1 there is an angle a formed between the bottom of the water container and the inclined surface 48. This angle is preferably about one degree but has been exaggerated somewhat in Fig. 1 for purposes of clarity.

At the bottom of the recess 23 in the rear of the water container is a horizontal shelf 43 having a rear edge 50 formed with a central recess and with a hole 52 spaced inwardly from said recess (see Fig. 3). A control rod 53 extends upwardly from the thermostat 52 through the hole 52, the said hole being of such size as to provide a small amount of clearance around the rod 53. The upper end of the control rod 53 is slidably and rotatably received in a socket 55 formed in the handle 36. The control rod 53 is equipped with a knob 55 and the latter is positioned in the space 4| so that it can be conveniently manipulated by the fingers when desired.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 5, the knob 55 is preferably formed with a roughened peripheral edge 51 to facilitate manipulation, and is also 4 formed with an arcuate slot 58 which is con centric with the axis of rotation of the knob.

Projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the sole plate near the rear end thereof is a stud 59 which has its upper end threaded as at 60, the lower end of the stud being rigidly anchored in the sole plate. Threaded on the threaded upper end 60 is the lower end of a control rod 6|. Said rod has a lower end collar 62 which engages the lower surface of the shelf 49 and another collar 63 which engages above said shelf. Between said collars is a portion 64 which has substantially less diameter than the external diameters of the collars and which is rotatable within the recess SI of the shelf. A fast threading is used at (it so that if the rod 6| is rotated of a turn it will produce a raising effect of about /16 of an inch on the rear of the water container due to the engagement of the upper surface of the collar 52 with the lower surface of the shelf 29.

The control rod 51 extends upwardly through the arcuate slot 53 in the knob 55, there being a small amount of clearance between the sides of the slot 58 and the rod. The rod 6| also extends rotatably through a hole 65 in the handle, and its extreme upper end is fitted with a knob 66 which is turnably seated in the handle recess 39. There is a certain amount of looseness in the threaded connection between the lower end of the rod 6! and the upper end of the stud 59. This makes it possible for the rod GI to be disposed at a slight angle with respect to the stud 59 in certain positions of adjustments of the parts.

In use of the device, and with the container 23 filled with water to a desired level and with the parts in the position of Fig. 1, the electric heating element It will transmit heat to the bottom 28 of the water container and to the water therein. Most of this heat will be transmitted efficiently because of the direct contact between upper surface portions of the sole plate and lower surface portions of the water container. The thermostat control knob 55 may be set to maintain a desired sole plate temperature depending upon requirements.

After the water in the water container has reached the boiling point, steam will be generated. This steam will find its way into the steam dome 42 and the pressure in the water container will ultimately force steam outwardly through the tube 33 into the sole plate chamber 13 and out of the steam discharge holes 23. When ironing woolen goods'it is usually desirable to have a steady flow of steam. However, it is frequently necessary to set the iron on its heel rest 61 while the work is being straightened out on the ironing board or while the user is otherwise engaged. With the ordinary type of steam iron, steam continues to be discharged at a rapid rate while the iron is on its heel. With the present invention, however, if the knob 66 is turned in a counterclockwise direction to cause partial rotation of the rod 61, this will act through the engagement of the collar 62 with the shelf 49 to tilt the rear of the water container 24 upwardly from the position of Fig. 1 to the position in dicated in Fig. 2 so that there is a separation as indicated at b in Fig. 2. This separation is slightly'exaggerated in the illustration. Actually a separation of /16 of an inch will suffice. During movement of the parts to the position of Fig. 2 the portion of the bottom of the water container near the tip of the iron rocks down- '5 "wardly from its former position indicated by the line 0 in Fig. 2 to a position in contact with the inclined surface portion iii of the sole plate. There is enough play in the fit of the screw t? in the sole plate opening it and enough play around the lower end of the steam tube 3 to permit this minor amount of movement. Also, there is enough clearance between the thermostat rod 53 and the hole 52 in the shelf ii) to permit :a small amount of raising movement at the rear of the water container while the thermostat control rod 53 remains in fixed position "relative to the sole plate. During such tilting there is also a small amount of relative sliding movement between the upper end or" the thermostat control rod 53, and the socket 54. In addition, the play in the threading 6E3 permits a small amount of angular movement of the rod 6| with respect to the stud 59.

1 As soon as the rear portion of the bottom of the water container is separated from the upper surface of the sole plate as in b, there is such a change in the amount of heat transmitted from the heating element M in the sole plate to the water container that the discharge of steam from the holes 23 stops almost immediately. Thus, no water is consumed while the iron is at rest on its heel, and no unnecessary steam is diecharged into the room. At the same time thermostat i2 maintains any required sole plate temperature so that the iron is in condition for use whenever desired. Before it is again picked up, if steam is desired, the knob is turned in a clockwise direction to bring the parts back to the position of Fig. 1. This will again cause steam to be emitted from the openings 23.

If, during use of the iron on certain fabrics, only a small amount of steam is desired, then a very fine adjustment of the knob so may be made to vary the degree of contact between the water container and the sole plate to whatever extent is'desired.

It is apparent from the above that the features of the present invention greatly improve the steam iron and make it possible to quickly control the discharge of steam or the amount of steam discharged independently of the heating element. This not only makes it possible to conserve water and to adapt the iron for use with fabrics requiring less steam, but also makes it peesible' to instantly convert a steam iron into a dry iron while the container is still filled with water. In other irons of this type which are constructed to be used both with and without steam it is necessary for the water container to be com pletely emptied if the iron is to be used asa dry Various changes and modifications ma be made without departing from the spirit or" the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a steam iron having a sole plate provided with a source of heat therein and having a container for water provided with a bottom positioned over said sole plate, means for tiltably supporting said container on said sole plate, and manually operable means for causing tilting of said container on said tiltable supporting means to vary the heat transfer relationship between at least a portion of the bottom of said water container and said source of heat in the sole plate, and means for conducting stea from saidwater container to the bottomoi said sole plate.

6 2. 'In a steam iron, a sole plate provided With a source of heat therein and having a container for water provided'with a bottom positioned over said sole plate, and means for conducting steam from said water container to the bottom of said sole plate, means supporting said container for movement of at least a part of its bottom toward and away from the top of the sole plate, and manually operable means for causing said movement to vary the distance between at least a portion of the bottom of said water container and said source of heat.

In a steam iron having a sole plate and having a container for water provided with a bottom positioned over said sole plate, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, means for movably supporting at least a portion of the bottom Of said water container on said sole plate for selected movement into and out of heat transfor relationship with the upper surface thereof, and means for conducting steam from said water container to the bottom of sole plate.

4. In a steam iron having a sole o-lateand having a container for water provided with a bottom positioned over said sole plate, means for conducting steam from said water container to the bottom of said sole plate, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, means movably supporting th bottom of said water contain r on the top of said sole plate for tilting movement in a vertical plane, andmanually operable means for causing said movement.

5. In a steam iron having a sole plate and having a container for water provided with a bottom position d over said sole plate, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, pivot means connecting an end portion of the bottom of said water container to the corresponding portion of said sole plate, pivot means providing for a limited amount of tilting movement of the water containerin a vertical plane on said pivot means, a readily manipulatable control member spaced from said pivot means for causing said tilting movement, and means for conducting steam from'said water container to the bottom of the sole plate and. including a conduit portion having a slidable fit in said sole plate.

6. In a steam iron having a sole plate and having a container for water provided with a bottom positioned over said sole plate, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, pivot means connecting an end portion of the bottom of said water container'to the corresponding portion of said sole plate, said pivot means providing for a limited amount of tilting movement of the water container in a vertical plane on said pivot means, means for conducting steam from said water container to the bottom of the sole plate and including a' conduit portion having a. slidable lit in said sole plate, a stud having a threaded upper end projecting upwardly from a point on said sole plate spaced from said pivot means, and a control member rotatably connected to the water container and having a threaded engagement with said stud for causing said tilting movement.

7. In a steam iron having a sole plate and having a main body portion forming a container forwater provided with a bottom positioned over said sole plate, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, said sole 'plate'having a steam discharge recess therein, a steam tube for conducting steam through the bottom of the Water container into said steam discharge recess of the sole plate, pivot means adjacent said steam tube connecting the bottom of the water container to said sole plate, said pivot means providing for a limited amount of tilting movement of the water container in a vertical plane on said pivot means, a stud having a threaded upper end projecting upwardly from a point on said sole plate spaced from said pivot means, a control member rotatably connected to said main body portion and having a threaded engagement with said stud, and means for transmitting axial movement from said control member to said water container.

8. In a steam iron having a sole plate and having a main body portion forming a container for Water positioned over said sole plate, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, connecting means connecting a part of the bottom of the water container to said sole plate, said connecting means providing for a limited amount of tilting movement of the water container in a vertical plane on said connecting means, a stud having a threaded upper end projecting upwardly from a point on said sole plate spaced from said connecting means, and a control member rotatably connected to said main bod portionhaving a threaded engagement with said stud and having spaced annular shoulders thereon, there being an extension on said main body portion which fits between said spaced annular shoulders whereby axial movement of the control rod is transmitted to said water container.

9. In a steam iron having a sole plate and having a main body portion forming a container for water positioned over said sole plate, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, pivot means connecting a part of the bottom of the water container to said sole plate, said pivot means providing for a limited amount of tilting movement of the water container in a vertical plane on said pivot means, a stud having a threaded upper end projecting upwardly from a point on said sole plate spaced from said pivot means, a thermostat supported on said sole plate for controlling the sole plate heating element, a thermostat control rod projecting upwardly from said thermostat and slidably connected to said water container, a readily manipulatable steam control member for causing tilting movement of said water container on said sole plate, and means for conducting steam from said water container to the bottom of the sole plate and ill-,- cluding a conduit portion having a slidable fit in said sole plate.

10. In a steam iron having a sole plate and having a main body portion forming a container for water positioned over said sole plate, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, connecting means connecting a part of the bottom of the water container to said sole plate, said connecting means providing for a limited amount of tilting movement of the water container in a vertical plane on said connecting means, a stud having a threaded upper end projecting upwardly from a point on said sole plate spaced from said connecting means, a thermostat supported on said sole plate for controlling the sole plate heating element, a thermostat control rod projecting upwardly from said thermostat and slidably connected to said water container, a knob on said. thermostat control rod having an arcuate slot which is concentric with the axis of rotation of said knob, and a readily manipulatable steam control member for causing tilting movement of said water container on 8 said sole plate and having a rod portion extending upwardly through said arcuate slot.

11. In a steam iron having a sole plate and having a main body portion forming a container for water provided with a bottom positioned over said sole plate, a handle connected to the top of said water container, there being a horizontal recess between a portion of the rear of the handle and the rear portion of the water container and said water container having an inwardly recessed rear wall below said horizontal recess, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, a connecting member connecting a portion of the bottom of the water container with said sole plate, said connecting member providing for a limited amount of tilting movement of the water container in a vertical plane on said connecting member, a thermostat supported on said sole plate for controlling the sole plate heating element, a thermostat control rod projecting upwardly from said thermostat through the recess formed by the recessed rear wall of the water container, a knob on said thermostat control rod positioned in the horizontal recess beneath the rear handle portion and having an arcuate slot which is concentric with the axis of rotation of said knob, and a readily manipulatable steam control member for causing tilting movement of said water container relative to said sole plate and having a rod portion extending upwardly through said arcuate slot of said knob.

12. In a steam iron having a sole plate and having a main body portion forming a container for water provided with a bottom positioned over said sole plate, a handle connected to the top of said water container, there being a horizontal recess between a portion of the rear of the handle and the rear portion of the water container and said water container having an inwardly recessed rear wall below said horizontal recess, a heating element in connection with said sole plate, a connecting member connecting a portion of the bottom of the water container with said sole plate, said connecting member providing for a limited amount of tilting movement of the water container in a vertical plane on said connecting member, a thermostat supported on said sole plate for controlling the sole plate heating element, a thermostat control rod projecting upwardly from said thermostat through the recess formed by the recessed rear wall of the water container, a knob on said thermostat control rod positioned in the horizontal recess beneath the rear handle portion and having an arcuate slot which is concentric with the axis of rotation of said knob, and a readily manipulatable steam control member for causing tilting movement of said water container relative to said sole plate and having a rod portion extending upwardly through said arcuate slot of said knob and extending rotatably through the rear portion of the handle, and a knob on the upper end of said rod portion.

HARRY E. BREMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,311,164 Ekstedt Feb. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 484,974 Great Britain May 12, 1938 

